St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-08
a RICE PLANTATION.

"'Se PLANTATION.
Fascinating Study Presented by the
nice Fields Of the Atlantic Deltas.
no falrer prospect exists in the whole
realm OF agriculture than the Landscape
OF a well-appoihted rice plantation,
whether viewed in early spring before
planting. with the tawny seams Of its
embankments intersecting the check
cred squares. the yellow mold vet
steamlng from the pillow, and the whole
visible area apparently as clesnly swept
ana garnished rs . parlor floor: or
later. during the nursery reign of the
fostering stretch water" each square
lake. its wavelets ripping under the
fresh sea breeze, with the tops OF the
young plants immersed for forcing. in
long. waving lines of tendrils floating
on the water. and the russell banks,
separating lake from lake. now paths
OF emerald, their grassy carpet blowing
IN the April sun; or later still, during
the ''long water" the entire landscape
one waving sea of green. broken Only
by the crystal ribbons OF canals and
quarter drains; or. finally, in the full
noontide of harvest-time. the level
fields. now lakes no more, but vast
stretches of stubble dotted with stacks
OF golden grain, as If an army tented
there.
The wheat lands of Dakota are i'm
pressive, but their unbroken, unre-
licved monotony is almost painful.
The vine-clad hills of the upper Ohio
are novel and interesting: the velvety
slopes of the valley of the Roanoke
and kentucky's blue grass meadows
pretty and attractive; but study OF
the rice fields of the Atlantic deltas is
simply fascinating.
In other agricultural pursuits mans
efforts are the sports Of the elements.
and largely dependent upon the ca
price of the future. In this man works
with God, in the very shadow of His
presence. with the intelligence and
judgment regulating the Maynard
freaks of nature, grating chemical
affinity and physical force. and direct
ing both to an end. reasonably certain
if properly comprised.
The high plane of thought necessari-
~ traversed by the planter pursuing
this avocation from generation to gem
Grafton naturally induced broader in
telligcnce. greater elevation of mind,
superior refinement and more univer-
sal and thorough cosmOpolitanism than
has ever been attained either before
or since in any other kindred employ
ment.
Yet this incidental super-refinement
was far removed from effeminacy
During the late war. whenever a clis-
son suck fast in the mud, the first vol
unteer shoulder under the wheel was
that of the young rice-planter. who .
month previous had daintily aired him.
self in his spotless white duck suit.
while Jake and Pat, the stevedorc and
ditchcr. invariably ''stood afar off,
watching the performance, nor lent a
helping hand except ''under orders"
The word "rice" is evidently of east
ern origin: Tamil, arisi; Arabic, aru.,
Latin, Orysa: Italian, ris0; French. rig.
1t is only second in Importance among
the cereals to wheat. and forms the
grain food of over one-third of the hu-
man race.
Its use by the inhabitants Of China
and India extends as far hack as the
earliest records Of either country. a
Chinese classic describes infinitely the
drainage and irrigation works con-
structed by the Emperor Yu on the
Yang -tse-kiang 4. 236 years ago 1t was
cultivated in Egypt fully fifty centuries
ago. though not the principal food of
the latter country. Frequent Biblical
references to rice are found. Herodotus
fully describes it, rs does Pliny in his
treatise upon the food plants Of India.
While Gibbon considers that it was
cultivated in Spain at the time of the
Roman occupation, it certainly. rs an
industry. attained no prominence in
until comparatively modern
times. and it is generally believed to
have been introduced by the Moors
into Auda.usia during the eleventh
century. and to have crossed from
Spain into Italy about . century after. |
Rice is now grown in nearly every
portion of the globe Japan. Brazil.
Hawaii, America, Italy, India. but
in China and Burmah. The
Burmese crop lie nearly all exported.
he inhabitants subsisting on some
cheaper food. rs millet or dourrha;
hat of China is principally consumed
It home, though good deal finds its
way into this country.-SoSthesn Biz
,uGc.